Growing some of your own food not only saves you money, but is good for the environment. Not everyone has a garden but may desire to bring the outdoors in. Here are some wonderful ideas.

One of the most beneficial things a person can do for themselves, and the environment, is to grow some of their own food. Unfortunately not everyone has the access to a garden for the purposes of growing their own food. Some plants can be grown indoors and will produce edible food for you and your family. Before you start growing any plants indoors, select a good sunny location, or provide plant lights. If you have access to a patio or balcony, many of these plants will benefit from some time outside in the summer.

Banana

Sure to impress your family and friends, you can grow your own bananas. The Musa banana plant is small enough to be grown indoors, it produces fruit then dies, but leaves you will have new plants growing for the future. Banana plants do not like direct sunlight but require several hours of indirect light. They can be set outside in the summer, again provided they are protected from the sunlight.

Pineapple Guava

This is not only an attractive house plant, it produces edible flowers and fruits. It can be kept indoors year round, or put out on a patio or balcony in the summer. Their fruits are small but for somebody who is looking for something a little different, this plant may be the one for you. The do require a fair amount of sun, so should be kept near a south facing window and misted throughout the drier winter months.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are easily grown indoors providing they receive adequate sunlight. In fact, keeping them indoors reduces the risk of diseases, just make sure you do not get too much water on their leaves. The main concern is pollination, which is required for fruit production, this can be aided by buying tomato pollinator spray to help the fruit to “set”. You can purchase this at most gardening centers. As with most of the plants I am mentioning, they can be set out on a balcony or patio in the summer, just make sure they are out of the wind, and not exposed to frost.

There are several varieties of tomatoes, some of which lend themselves more to a smaller space, these are often sold under the names of “Tom Thumb” or “Patio Tomato” but these names may vary depending what country you live in, however any gardening center should be able to recommend a good plant for indoors.

Herbs

Not all herbs lend themselves to being grown indoors, some, like Tarragon, are simply too big, however there are many which can be grown in pots on your windowsill and will do very well. Some suggested herbs are chives, mint and oregano. Chives make excellent additions to baked potatoes, and salads. Mint is often used in desserts or drinks, and is known to repel ants so may be used additionally if you have problems with ants in your home. Oregano can be added to sauces and soups.

Dwarf Citrus Fruits

You can grow oranges, lemons, limes, and kumquats, indoors on smaller dwarf trees. They do require large pots and must have regular watering for their fruit to grow. These trees should be misted regularly if your home is dry. They need as much sunlight as possible so should be kept near a sunny window or put out for the summer if possible. If you are moving an indoor plant to the outdoors for the summer, make sure you do so gradually or the sudden change will shock the plant. Set it out at first for only a few hours.

You can also grow ginger inside. Just cut off a chunk of it and stick it in a pot with potting soil, and water. If you want to be certain you’re planting it in the right orientation, put the piece of ginger in a sauce with water until it sprouts, and then plant it in the soil with the sprout going up. In the summer, the plants can be put outside, or in tropical areas it can be grown outside all the time.